How Great Great Grandfather Died

As I said in an earlier entry I was waiting for information from Wigan Heritage Centre

This is taken from an entry in the Wigan Observer, March 6th 1901

THE DEATH OF A WELL KNOWN COLLIERY MANAGER

Mr S Brighouse, county coroner, held an inquiry at the Bird I'th Hand, Hindley on Monday afternoon into the circumstances concerning the death of Samuel Broome, 58 years of age, the general manager of the Amberswood Colliery, Hindley, who died at a quarter to seven on Friday evening of last week, in consequence of injuries received by a stone falling on him whilst drawing a chock in the No.1 Pit of the Amberswood Colliery on the previous Wednesday. Mr Hall, His Majesty's Inspector, was present and Mr Walker, mining engineer, represented the company.
Plans of the place where the accident happened were produced and it was explained to the jury that the road was finished, and the chock was being drawn for the value of the timber.
Joseph Broome, the son of the deceased, said his father, who lodged at 91 Wigan Road, Hindley was the general manager of the Amberswood Colliery, Hindley. He had been a certified manager since 1877. The witness last saw his father alive before the accident at two o clock on the Tuesday afternoon, the day before he was injured. The witness wasn't working on the day of the accident, and so didn't see him that day, and he was lodging in Ince and his father in Hindley.
After the accident the witness and his mother left him, about a quarter to seven to go for some tea, and on coming back about seven they found him dead. His father felt inclined for a little sleep before they left him, and he asked them to bring him a cup of tea, and when they took him the tea it was the furthest thing from their mind to think of finding him dead. They had turned the light down before leaving him, and when they returned witness's mother asked him to strike a light and light the gas. The mother at once said "I think there is something up" and got hold of the father's hand, and knelt on the bed. "Oh me", she said, "I think my husband is dead". Witness then lit the gas, and found that he was dead. The deceased was sensible from the accident up to the last. The last words he said about the accident was on Friday evening in the presence of the witness, the mother and Mr Atherton (the mine owner), who had made it his duty to call twice a day to see how was progressing. On Friday evening between five and six Mr. Atherton called, and he then said to Mr. Atherton and all present in the room that it looked singular, he should have met with his accident, because he took a chock out of the waste between the lower level and the level where he got hurt was far more difficult. To secure himself in taking that chock he had to build little stone packs, improvised packs for security. After that he came up the coal face, and said he thought he would take the other chock out, and then give over for the day. He had a prop in his hand, he said, thinking that if it was required he could set it, but when he got to the chock there were no cracks, nor breaks, nor slips, and, in fact no danger whatsoever, he said, and so he thought it was unnecessary to set the prop. In fact, it wasn't required, he said. It looked singular that the accident should have happened, he said, because he had no thought of anything of the sort. It was unforseen, he said, and it must have been the will of somebody far above their understanding. Those were practically the last words he said.
The Coroner: "Did he say anything that would lead you to think anybody was to blame?"
Witness: "No, far from it"
Questioned by Mr. Hall the witness said he knew the road where the accident happened. He worked close to the pit bottom, but he had been in the road many a time fetching drilling machines out. He was in the level a week before the accident.
Lawrence Bibby, a dataller, of 5, John Street, Wigan said that at a quarter to two on the day of the accident he was working close besides the deceased, who was in the act of drawing a chock of timber when a stone fell on him. Witness at once shouted for James Heaton, who came and assisted him to get the stone off him. The stone would be about 4 foot long, 3 foot wide, and 14 or 15 inches thick. The deceased complained of being hurt in his side, and witness went out as soon as possible for assistance, and returned with Robert Baron and William Turner. The stone fell upon him just as he was hitting the chock. Mr Broome knocked at the stone after he had drawn the two props, and he said it was all right and safe. The deceased was using a big hammer and a pick, and had got pieces of chock loose, and was starting with the third when the stone fell.
How did it happen that the manager was drawing timber? It is rather unusual - He followed doing it, it seems.
Mr Hall explained that the colliery was a small one.
The coroner asked how many men were working at the coal face?
The witness said the place was stopped at present. The men had been on strike for more wages, and on the day of the accident there were no colliers down. There were three men men at work, the deceased, the witness and another man.
Mr Hall, said he understood that if there was one thing that Mr. Broome could do well it was drawing timber, and there was no doubt that on this occasion it was altogether an error of judgement on his part. He thought it was safe when it wasn't.
The coroner: " He was an experienced man?"
Mr Hall: " Yes, he was".
Several of the jurors expressed their appreciation of the deceased as being a very experienced and practical man.
The coroner said if ever there was a case that deserved the appellation of a pure accident he should think that was the case. It was as clear as possible that the deceased was an experienced man, and that he had been misled, or something had happened so that he could not forsee the accident.
The jury did not think it necessary to call any further evidence, and they returned a verdict of "Accidental Death".